Pipe spinner



March 31, 1953 L. w. STORM I 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 mmvron. Lynn n. Storm :4 r Fan/v5 Ys.

March 31, 1953 w. STORM I 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17. 1948 s Sheets-Shet 3 INVENTOR.

BY Lynn W. Storm Fig. 3

March 31, 1953 L. w. STORM 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17, 1948 v 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 3mm Lynn w Storm Arragnsx g.

March 31, 1953 w STORM 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 v INVENTOR. Lmn W. Storm ATTORNEYQ March 31, 1953 L. w. STORM 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 3 m Lynn :4! Storm Q10 aw f rz wmw A TTOR/VEYS.

March 31, 1953 w. STORM 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 1'7, 1948 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Lyn n n! dim f3 QM nrromvsrs.

March 31, 1953 L. w. STORM 2,633,333

PIPE SPINNER Filed May 17, 1948 s Sheets-Sheet s Fig. /8 I64 18o 3 172 I I89 19 I 1.9 17 o L- J Fig. /7 173 k 5' v, 164 \Jv Lynn M. Storm A TTORNE Y8 Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE SPINNER Lynn W. Storm, Houston, Tex. Application May 17, 1948, Serial No. 27,554

3Claims. ((1255-19) This invention relates to a method or system of handling pipe, especially drill pipe used in the rotary method of drilling oil wells; such system being especially adapted to combine the use of several new item of pipe handling equipment in a manner to speed up the time required to make trips with pipe into and out of the well, while at the same time greatly minimizing the hazards to personnel and the breakage of equipment now encountered with present conventional apparatus.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electrically actuated pipe spinner to accomplish the functions of the spinning chain now presently used and actuated by draw works in making trips into and out of the well.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a pipe spinner of this class, which also eliminates the conventional elevators used in lifting conventionally jointed drill pipe from a well.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a pipe spinner of this class which eliminates the use of the lift plugs presently required in elevating flush joint drill pipe from a well.

It is also an object of this invention to eliminate the use of the spinning chain, while going into the well, by using a centering tool, releasable clamp, and auxiliary power hoist at the monkey board level of the derrick, to position stands of pipe so that a pipe spinner of the class described may spin the stands into the top boxes of pipe strings when they are gripped by the slips of the rotary table at thetop of a well.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a centering tool at the monkey board level of the derrick to facilitate the handling'ot racked pipe when both going into and coming out of a well.

.Another object of this invention is to'provide an adapter receivable in the square of the rotary table iol-supporting the top joints of conven-r tionally jointed pipes and eliminating the use of slips for thispurpose whengboth going; into and coming out of a well. 7 It, is a further object of this invention to provide anadapter of this classto be provided with dogs to prevent the transverse scoring of the pipe during handling. 7 I

Itis also an object of this invention to adapt the pipe spinner for use-with a modification of the presently used elevators now conventionally employed ingoing into the well, and with this adaptation. the spinning chain operation is eliminated.

' It is a further object of this invention td'adapt the pipe spinner for use with a modification of the presently used elevators now conventionally employed in making trips into the well, and with such adaptation the necessity of rotating the pipe by the rotary table is eliminated.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method of using the pipe spinner with modifications of conventionally used elevator equipment in both going into and coming out of the well. I

Other and further objects of this invention will be more fully apparent when the following description is taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, part in section, of the pipe spinner.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the derrick with the equipment of this invention installed thereon, which shows the pipe spinner being lowered to be spun into the box of the top joint of the drill string when such top joint is positioned to extend above the rotary table.

Fig. 3 is an elevation showing a derrick with the equipment of this invention installed thereon and being used to handle racked pipe in the process of going into a well. v

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the adapter used in connection with conventionally jointed pipe, taken along line 4-4, of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the adapter taken along line 55 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of the adapter taken along line 66 of Fig. 4. V

Fig. 7 is 'a sectional elevation of the adapter taken along line 7- of Fig. 4. I

Fig. 8 is an elevation of the releasable clamp when it has just been released from the pipe, taken along line 88 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the releasable clamp in pipe gripping position, taken along line 9-9 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the releasable clamp.

Fig. ii is a plan view of the centering tool when mounted on the monkey board, taken along line lI-H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 12: is a sectional elevation showing the operating handle of the centering tool taken along line l2--l2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is an elevation showing details of the centering tool construction, taken along line pipe spinner taken along line ll5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 16 is a bottom view of the pipe spinner pin, taken along line 16-16 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 17 is an elevation of the pipe spinner when employed with modified design of presently used elevators.

Fig. 18 is a partial side view, taken along line l8-I8 of Fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a plan view, part in section, taken along line l9l9 of Fig. 17.

The pipe spinner l, shown in Fig. 1, has therein a motor 2 which has a driving shaft 3 connected by a key 4 to drive a friction clutch 5. The friction clutch 5 has a disc 8 faced with any well known friction material 9, and this is urged against the face E6 of the lost motion coupling II by means of the spring 6, which exerts pressure between the flange l, rigidly fixed to the shaft 3, and the friction disc 8 of the friction clutch 5; the disc 8 having its surface faced with any well known friction material 9.

The adjacent element against which the friction material is urged comprises the friction face l0, which is rigidly fixed to the coupling H, so that the rotary frictional contact of the friction material 9 against this face transfers rotation t the positive clutch. This positive clutch has spaced ears [2 thereon, as shown in Fig. 15, which are adapted to be rotated into contact with spaced lugs It on the inner end or hub l3 of the clutch driven shaft l4.

The provision of both the friction clutch 5 and the lost motion coupling ll insures that the pin I! may be broken out of the box l2! of a pipe section after it has been threaded thereinto and shouldered up tightly thereon. When the motor is reversed for this purpose, the ears 12 of the coupling H will be rotated into forcible contact with the lugs It of the shaft 14, so as to more readily break loose the engagement of the pin H in the box PM of the pipe section. At the same time the impact of the ears l2 on the lugs It will not be transmitted to the motor 2, but will be absorbed by the friction created between the friction face In and the friction material 5.

The clutch driven shaft is shown as having a hollow extension l5 onto which is fixed at the end thereof the pin H, which is threaded externally, as will be hereinafter described. Radial drain openings 18 are provided in the hollow extension l5, to provide air escape from the drill p1pe.

Tapered roller bearings 19 are provided between the positive clutch H and the inner end ii] of the shaft M. The motor, clutches, and the inner end of the shaft [4 are all enclosed in a housing 22, and a tapered roller bearing unit 23 is interposed between the inner end 13 and the housing 22, while a roller bearing unit 24 is interposed between the housing 2.2 and the hollow extension l5 of the shaft [4.

The housing has a threaded end 25 over which is fitted a cap 28 to enclose a seal 27, so that the housing interior may be grease packed for lubrication through the grease opening l55. Bosses or ears 28 are provided on the housing about which fit the machined rings 29 of the bail l3il, the bail 130 being adapted at its upper end, not shown, for suspension, as from the hook of a hoisting assembly. An electrical conduit 38 is shown extending from the motor to the housing exterior, so that an electrical power lead 3i may be passed therethrough to convey electrical power to the motor.

The pins [1 are of various sizes to conform to the various diameters of pipe being handled, and are connected by threads, not shown, to the hollow extension 15, as at 20. The threads I20 of the pins I? are turned down to undersized dimensions to fit loosely in a pipe box so that when the spinning elevator is rotated in a left-handed direction to disengage the pin from the box of drill pipe in which it may have been inserted, there is assurance that the joint between the pin and top box of drill pipe will be broken rather than some lower joint in the drill string assembly.

This result is further assured by the fact that the contact face 15! of the pin H is relieved or beveled at radially spaced intervals I52 to insure that there is less contact surface between the pin face and box face than there is contact surface between faces of the other joints of the drill string assembly.

An adapter 50, shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, and '7, is provided for employing the method of this invention with conventionally jointed pipe, and this adapter is insertable in the square 8| of the bushing 92 of the rotary table 93. This adapter has arms stand 95, which are pivotal about the pin which is threaded into, and extends above, the adapter body 97. The arms 9 and 95 have together a substantially cylindrical internal face configuration, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

A latch 98 is pivoted on a pin 99 mounted between two projections I03 and (ill of adapter body 91. The arm 55 has a lug I82 thereon which has notch N33 to receive the latch 98. The arm 94 also has a lug H34 thereon which has a notch 183 to receive the latch 98. When the arms 94 and 95 are pivoted about pin 96 and brought together, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and when the latch 98 is pivoted about the pin 99 to fall into the notches I83 of the lugs H12 and I04, the arms are locked together. Handles I05 and H18 are provided on the arms to facilitate this latching operation and the latch 98 has a handle grip I81 formed therein to facilitate the manual swinging of the latch.

As shown in Fig. 5, dogs I08 are pivoted on vertical pins 109 within the arms 94 and 95, and these dogs are designed so that the teeth HG thereof may be forced into gripping contact with drill string pipe in the rotary table by means of the pins III, which operate in the spring loaded holes H2. It should be noted that the dogs H38 face alternately in the slots H3, and are urged alternately by the springs in opposite directions, so that the dog teeth Hi) may bind the pipe against rotation in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions.

It should be pointed out that whereas the arms are opened and closed by the manual operation of the handles I05 and H16 and the latch 98, the structure of this adapter is not limited to such devices, and the latch may be foot actuated by any well known means, and the arms may also be opened by a foot actuated device, or by other means, such as by spring actuation.

A releasable clamp is shown in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, which includes clamp body 40, which has a serrated inner face ll for better grasping the pipe. The jaw 43 is pivotally connected to this clamp body 40 by means of the bolt 42. This jaw 43 has teeth 44 on the inner face 45 thereof and the pin 41 passes through the outer end 48 thereof to receive the terminal link 48 of the chain 49 which extends up to an auxiliary power hoist, not shown. A conventional reversible push button switch 50 is rigidly fixed to the side 5! of the clamp 40, and the electrical connection 52 extends irom this switch to the auxiliary "p wer hoist. The side 5| has finger grip 54'thereon to better facili'tate handling by the derrick man' i Figs. 11, 12, 1 3, and 14 show the "pipe centering tool 60 which is mounted'on the monkey board 6| of the derrick-80 by means of bolts-63 which pass through the-bracket 'orbra'ce -64 to connect this element rigidly to the monkeyboard fioor. A braced pedestal 65 extends upwardly from the bracket 64, and the swinging arm 66 of the centering tool is mounted on top of this pedestal 65 so as to pivot thereaboutwithin the limits'of the slot 66 formed-therein, the faces 69 of the slot 68 contacting the pin 55 in the pedestal 65 at either end of angular travel. I i

An end 56 of a link 10 is pivotally connected to the extension 1I of theswingingarm 66, as bythe bolt 51, and the other end 53 of the link 10 hashandle 58 passed therethrough to' slide in slot 59 of the extension. The extension face 12 has notches'13'therein to receive thelatch 14 at either end of angular travel of the swinging arm 66. The latch 14 is pivotally connected at H4 to the handle 58 and is forced outwardly by spring I54 which is recessed in the handle.

A rod v15 is pivotally connected tothe handle 58 above the link 10 and at its other end this rod 15 'is pivotally connected to a finger 19, which in turn islpivotally connected to the swinging arm 66. Theswinging arm 66 has a relieved end 16 to receive part of a pipe periphery and the finger 19 is of such a configuration as to complement the relieved end 16 when the rod .15 has pushed the finger into the position shown in Fig. 11, so that the finger 19 and the end 16 may substantially encircle a pipe.

The various devices of this invention are installed for operation on the conventional oil field drilling rig in the. following manner:

A lead 3I from any conventional source of electrical power is taken from double throw switch H6, up leg 83 of the derrick 80'=and anchored at a point II 5 at an elevation above the derrick floor equal to approximately half the length of a stand of pipe, such a stand usually consisting of three pipe sections. Then the lead 3|, extending further to a length slightly longer than the elevation of the point H5 above the derrick fioor, is connected at conduit to the pipe spinner I, as shown in Fig. 1. The two 'pole switch H6 is installed on the derrick leg 83 for easy access by the driller who also operates the draw works I23 of the rig.

Rings I92 are formed integrally with the elevator I so that the hook I43, which is suspended from a beam I31, rigidly connected to the derrick leg 83, may be hooked into one of the rings to prevent counter-rotation of the housing as a result of reaction torque, which is built up when the spinning elevator is rotated in a left-handed direction to unthread the pin I1 from the box I2I of a pipe joint I40. I

The centering tool 60 is installed on the monkey board 6I, which is located on side 84 of the derrick at an elevation slightly less than the elevation of one stand of pipe above the top of the rotaryitable 93.

An auxiliary power hoist H1 is located on the derrick slightly above the monkey board 6|, and the releasable clamp '40, is suspended therefrom by the chain 49.

The adapter 90, for use in handling conventionally jointed pipe, is kept at a suitable place on the derrick fioorto be used when needed.

The spinning elevator I may also be adapted for use with a modification of conventional pipe 6. elevatorses "shown in Flgs.1l7,' 18j, ni119 rra make this-adaptation. a connection hook I60 is threaded-atf-IIiI to receivethe pin I1 of the pipe spinner I." This c'onnection hook I60 has hook arms I62 thereon oppositely opposed and integrally connected togthe body I63 of the connecting hook to receive bails I64, corresponding to theconventional pipe elevator bails. Latches I65 are provided, to be-forced outwardly by any conventional means, as a torsion spring, not shown, to latch'against the inner edges I66 of the upper arms I61v to insure that the bails will be maintained within the connection ,hook I60 under all conditions. The configuration of the upper arms I 61 is shown as having outwardly extendingfianges I68 designed to bind against the bails I64 to counteract the tendency of the bails to rotate but at the same time to permit limited movement thereof when the modified elevator I10, to be hereinafter described, is opened.

A modifiedelevator I10 is shown as having recesses or notches I1I therein toreceive the lower bail portions I12, and latches I13 of'any conventional design are provided on the modified elevator I10 to latch the bails I64 within the recesses-I1I and to prevent the bails from rotatm The modified elevator-I10 is shown composed of two arms I14 pivotal about the pin I15, and these arms are provided with handles I16 to per mi't'the manual opening of the arms. A latch I11 is shown provided, which can be pivoted around a pin118 m one arm so that the latching face I16 maybe forced by spring means, notshownfinto iatcmngcomact in a recess I89 "formedi'n the'oiiter surface of the other arm I14. A "faceor boss I is formed on the upper side of the 'arm' I14 so as to receive and support pipe joints I40 of conventional pipe.

Dogs l8l are shown pivotal about pins I 82 withinithe arms I14, and are'iorced'by springs I83 based in recesses I84,'in directions to bind the pipe against'rotatidn in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

The operation of niaking'a trip into a well is carried out after all the pipe has been pulled out ofthe 'well, usually instands of three'pipe sections at" a time, and has been racked with the lower ends of the stands resting on the'derrick fioor I21"and the upper ends of 'thestands leaning against the side of the derrick in the rack II Bat slightly above the monkey board level. Such operation is usually carried out in order to change the bit which has become dull in drilling, or for any number of other purposes. "Then it becomes necessary to lower'the drill bit and the'drill collar to which the bit is attached, back tot-he bottom of the well to recommence drill- 1118.

The operation of coming outflof a well is conducted when it is necessary to pull allof the pipe out of the well, onestand at a time, and rack it so as to replace a bit, or for a number of other purposes. V Theconventional drill pipe I20 used in Wells comprises, joints of pipe enlarged at one end thereof to form an internally threaded box I2I for receiving the externally threaded lower end or pin I22 of an adjacentpipe section. Alternately drill pipe may be of the flush joint type in which the internally threaded box at the end of a pipe section is of the same outer diameter as the remainder of the section. 7 v r The operations to which the equipment of this system are adapted comprise .going into a well with flush joint pipe; going into" a well with 7 conventionally jointedpipe; -coming out" of a well with flush joint pipe; and coming outffpf a well with conventionally jointed pipe. These types of operations will be respectively described herein:

Going into a well with flush joint pipe This operation commences with the drill collar or pipe I20 having been positioned in conventional slips in the rotary table 93 by any conventional manner so that the top of the drill collar extends slightly above the top of the table. The "Kelly joint, used in drilling, and the swivel above it, to which the top of the Kelly joint is attached, have been lifted off of the hook I28 of the hoisting apparatus I35 and set aside, as in a well, extending below the derrick floor I21, and consequently this is equipment not shown.

After that the draw works I213 of the rig has been actuated to unwrap the wire rope I24 from the drum-thereof, not shown. This wire rope I24 is shown as being rigged by passing it through the crown block I 25 at the top of the derrick and throughthe block I26 of the hoisting apparatus I35, to which the hoisting hook I28 is attached. The rope I24 further extends down to the derrick floor I2I on the side of the derrick opposite the draw works, and is anchored below the derrick floor.

The draw works now lowers the block I26 and hook I28 of the hoisting apparatus I35'to a position where the pipe spinner I may be picked up off the derrick floor I21, and the bail I38 thereof fixed in the hoisting hook I 28. Then, as the operation commences the driller isfound standing by the draw works I23; the derrick man is standing on the monkey board; and the floor man, who has just finished putting the spinning elevator on the hook, is on the derrick floor I27.

The driller now actuates the draw works I23 to wind up the rope around the draw works drum and this starts the spinning elevator I travelling upwardly. At the same time th derrick man reaches over to the pipe rack M8 to grasp the top of a stand of pipe and places it in the centering tool 60 when this tool is in the oif center position shown in Fig. 11. The derrick man then takes the releasable clamp 40, places it on this stand of pipe just below the top thereof, at an elevation slightly above the centering tool 69, and pushes the elevating button I34 ontheclamp 40 to actuate-the auxiliary hoist II! to pull the chain 49 upwardly and force the teeth 44 of the clamp jaw 43 into biting and binding contact with the pipe. z

The auxiliary hoist IIl further elevates the stand of pipe so that the floor man, without any lifting, may catch the lower end of the stand and walk it over to position the pin I22 of the lower pipe section in the box I H of the drill collar 01' pipe I20 which extends just above the rotary table 33. After this the derrick man presses the lowering button I33 on the auxiliary hoist II1 to slacken off on the chain 49 and release the jaw 44 from contact with the pipe periphery at the top of the stand. The derrick man then grasps the clamp 43 by the grip 54, removes it from the stand, and sets it aside, as on the monkey board platform 6 I.

While the above described steps have been occurring the pipe spinner I has been gradually moving upward, and when it reaches an elevation above the top of the stand the derrick man swings the centering tool 60 outwardly to position the top of the stand in a vertical line with the bottom thereof and with the box I2! oi the drill collar I20. The driller now actuates the draw works I23 to stop the upward travel of the block I26 and pipe spinner I and then reverses the draw works to lower the elevator slightly until the pin I'I thereof is in position in the box I 2I of the top section of the stand.

The driller then closes the double throw switch on the derrick leg 83 to rotate the pipe spinner I in a right-handed direction to make up orthread the elevator pin I'I into the box I2I. As the switch II6 remains closed, further righthanded rotation of the spinning elevator pin I'I threads the pin I22 of; the lower section of the stand into the box I 2| of the drill collar or pipe I20. Y

The derrick man now releases the centering tool finger I9 from around the stand and swings the centering tool 60 to the elf-center position. The pipe is raised and the slips are then removed from their position within the rotary table 93 below the box i2I of the drill collar so that the weight of the pipe in the well is now transmitted through the pipe spinner I, hook I28, and block I 25 of the hoisting apparatus I35, and is carried by the crown block I25 at the top of the derrick.

The driller now actuates the draw works I 23 to lower away until the top of the stand is slightly above the top of the rotary table 93, at which time the slips are re-set in the rotary table to grip the pipe.

The floor man then takes the hook.I43, which is suspended from beam I 3'! which is fixed to the derrick, and places it in the ring I92 of the pipe spinner I, so that counter-torque rotation of the spinning hoist housing may be prevented, and then the driller actuates the double throw switch I I6 to rotate the spinning elevator in a left-hand direction to disengage it from the top of the stand.

The hook I28 has therein a spring actuated retracting device, not shown, which pulls the pipe spinnerl upwardly after it has been unthreaded from the box I2I of the stand, and the action of this device positions the spinning elevator pin I1 above, and out of contact with, the stand.

It is pointed out that whereas the hook I43 is provided, this invention does not consider that it should be necessary to use it in every case to prevent counter-torque rotation of the pipe spinner housing 22, and especially would it be dispensed with in cases where the hoisting assembly I35 and the pipe spinner I suspended therefrom amount to a considerable load in opposition to the factor of counter-torque. On the other hand, this invention considers that cases may arise where some means, not shown, may have to be provided above the monkey board level so that the derrick man may anchor the pipe spinner housing 22 against counter-torque rotation when the pipe spinner I is rotated to unthread the pin I I thereof from the top of a stand of very light pipe which has been elevated above the well.

Going into a well with conventionally jointed pipe The operation of going into a well with conventionally jointed pipe commences with conditions the same as hereinbefore described for flush joint pipe, with the exception that conventional slips are not used, but instead the adapter is in the square 9| of a rotary table bushing 92, so that the joint I40 of the drill collar, or of the first pipe portion I20, rests on the faces MI and I42 of the arms 94 and 95, as shown in Fig. 6. When in this position the dogs I08 are in gripping contact with the periphery of the pipe I20 to bind it against rotation, there by reducing the possibility of transverse scoring of the pipe.

The operation begins as has been described for flush joint pipe and follows the same sequence until after the pipe spinner has spun or threaded a stand of pipe into the box I2I of the pipe joint I40 which is positioned in the adapter 90 in the rotary table 93. The driller picks up pipe to re lease load on adapter 90, and the floor man then grasps the hand grip I'I of the latch 98 and rotates it outwardly about the pin 99 to unlatch the arms 94 and 95. He then grasps the handles I and I05 of the arms and forces them outwardly to bring the dogs I08 out of contact with the pipe I20.

Then the driller actuates the draw works 423 to lower away the pipe until the box I2I at the top of the stand is just above the rotary table 93 and then stops the draw works. The fioor man then grasps the handles I05 and I06 of the adapter arms 94 and 95, and forces them inwardly to bring the dogs I03 into contact with the pipe. The floor man thenthrows over the latch 98 into latching position. The driller now actuates the draw works to further. lowerthe stand, so that the top joint I40 seats on .the faces of the arms 94 and 95. The driller then stops the draw works and closes the double throw switch I I6 to rotate the spinning elevator to unthread the pin H from the joint I40, and then the driller again actuates the draw works'to raise the spinning elevator, as the first step in the repeated cycle of events necessary to put another stand of pipe into the well.

Coming out of a well with flush joint pipe When it becomes necessary to remove pipe from a well with the equipment of this invention, the Kelly joint and swivel are removed from thehook I28 and are set aside and the pipe spinner I is suspended from the hook. The first element of the drill string rests in conventional slips, not shown, in the rotary table 93, so that the box I2I at the top of the pipe I20 extends just above the table 93. It is not here stated how this first element has been positioned, but it could have been positioned with the equipment of this invention as well as with the conventional drilling equipment.

As the first step the driller actuates the draw works I23 to lower the hoisting apparatus I35 until the pin I! of the pipe spinner I is in position in the box I2I of the joint I40. The driller then stops the draw works. The floor man now puts the hook I43 in a ring I92 of the pipe spinner housing 22 to prevent rotation of the housing, and then the driller closes the switch II6 to -rotate the pipe spinner so that the pin I! is threaded into the box I2I of the joint I40. After this the driller actuates the hoisting assembly to raise the pipe until the slips can be removed from the rotary table 93.

As the driller actuates the draw works I23 to raise the pipe the length of one stand, so that the top joint of a pipe section is just above the rotary table 93, the fioor man sets'the slips in the rotary table 93 to grasp the pipe below the joint I40. The floor man now sets an arm of the conventional Wilson tongs, not shown, to grasp the stand of pipe just above the joint I40 to hold it against rotation. The driller now actuates the draw works to rotate the rotary table 93 and with it the pipe still in the well, with the result that the pipe in the well is unthreaded at the joint I40 from the stand which extends above the derrick floor.

The fioor man then takes the bottom of this stand of pipe and walks with it to some point below the pipe rack IIB, whereupon the driller lowers the stand to the floor. The derrick man now swings the centering tool 60 to the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 11, which position is substantially coincidental with the vertical center line of the derrick. The derrick man now moves the handle 58 to close the finger I9 around the stand of pipenear the top thereof. The driller now closes the switch II6 to rotate the pipe spinner I so as to unthread the elevator pin H from the top joint of the stand.

Whenthis is acoinplished the spring or retracting means in the hook I28 jerks the elevator i upwardly, so as to pull the pin I1 above and out of contact with. the stand. The derrick man rotates the swinging arm 66, of the centering tool 00 to the position shownin full lines in Fig. 11, and then releases the finger I9 from contact with the stand of pipe, so that he may manually place the top of the stand in the rack I I8. This completes the cycle of steps in positioning a stand of flush joint pipe out of the well and into the rack, and at this point the driller is now ready to actuate the draw works I23 to lower the spinning elevator ,I to engage the next stand of pipe, the top joint I40 of which extends from the well and just above, the rotary table 93.

Coming out" of a well with conventionally jointed pipe In coming out of a well with conventionally jointed pipe the adapter is used in place of the conventional slips, and when the operation begins conditions are the same as hereinbefore described'for coming on of a well with flush joint pipe, with the exception that the adapter 90 is in the square 9I of the rotary table bushing 92, and the top joint I40 of the first stand to be taken out oi the well rests on the faces of the arms 94 and 95 of the adapter 90.

The sequence of steps is also the same with the exception that-after the pin ll of the spinning elevator I has been threaded into the top joint I40, the draw works is actuated to begin raising the stand upwardly, and-at this point the fioor man unlatches the latch 98 and grasps the handles I05 and I06 to open outwardly the arms of the adapter 90, thereby relieving the contact of the dogs I08 with the stand of pipe.

When'the stand has been raised a full stand length, the floor man then closes the-arms 94 and 95 and latches them by means of the latch 98, so that the dogs I08 are again brought into grasping contact with the periphery of the next stand of pipe to be raised. The remainder of the operation continues in the same manner as has been described for taking flush jointed pipe out of a Well.

It is pointed out that in both the operations of coming out of the well with flush jointed pipe and coming out of the well with conventionally jointed pipe, the operational step by which the joint is broken by conventional Wilson tongs, as .hereinbefore described, need not necessarily be followed by the operation of rotating the rotary table 93 to unthread the pipe suspended in the well from the joint from which it has been broken. As an optional substitute for this operation, the driller may actuate the spinning elevator by closing the switch Ill; so that the elevator rotates the stand of pipe suspended therefrom in a direction to unthread the pin IZI thereof from the joint I40 of the pipe suspended in the well.

Use of spinning elevator with modified conventz'onal equipment in going into (21 well with, con.- ventionally jointed pipe In this operation, with the equipment shown in Fig. 17 suspended from the C-hook I35, the driller actuates the draw works I23, and, with the handles I16 having been forced outwardly by the floor man to open up the modified elevator I10, the assembly travels upwardly. As the bails I64 pass by the derrickman on the monkey board the derrickman takes the top of a stand of pipe and pushes it outwardly so that the modified elevator I slides upwardly around the pipe. As the modified elevator passes the monkey board, the derrickman reaches out and grabs the handles I16 to force them together, whereupon the latch I11 automatically locks the arms I14 together about the pipe. The assembly continues to travel upwardly until the boss I80 of the modified elevator I10 comes into contact with the lower face of the pipe joint I40 at the top of the stand; and then the continued upward travel of the assembly lifts the stand of pipe on the derrick floor.

At this point the driller reverses the direction of travel of the hoisting assembly and lowers the stand of pipe so that the pin I22 at the bottom of the stand may be positioned by the floor man a short distance above the rotary table 93 and centered in the top pipe joint box I2I of the pipe extending from the well, this pipe being supported by slips, not shown, in the rotary table 93. The driller then throws the switch II6 to actuate the pipe spinner I to spin a stand of pipe into the top pipe box I2! supported by the slips in the rotary table. This is accomplished since the slips prevent the pipe in the well from rotatihg, while at the same time the dogs It?! in the modified elevator prevent the suspended stand of pipe from rotating in the modified elevator. The result is that the spinning elevator in rotating rotates the bails l64, the modified elevator I10, and the suspended stand of pipe as a unit, and thus threads the suspended stand of pipe into the box I2 I. i

The driller now actuates the draw works to elevate the whole string of pipe until the lower face of the joint I40 is raised suihciently above the rotary table to permit the slips to be removed. The driller then actuates the draw worksto lower the string of pipe until the top joint I40 is just above the rotary table 93, and then the slips are replaced. The floor man then unlatches the latch I11 of themodified elevator I10 and forces the handles I16 apart to open out the arms I14 of the modified elevator, and then the assembly is ready for upward travel to repeat the cycle.

Use of spinning elevator with modified conventional equipment in coming out of a well with conventionally jointed pipe In this operation, with the equipment shown in Fig. 17 suspended from the C-hook I35, and with the pipe in the well supported by the slips with the top joint I40 extending above the rotary table 93. the assembly is lowered by the driller until the floor man may close and latch the modified elevator I10 just below the lower face of the top joint I40.

The driller then actuates the draw works to raise the pipe until the slips may be taken out by the floor man, and then the pipe is further raised the length of a stand so that a joint of pipe is positioned the required distance above the rotary table 93.

The floor man then resets the slips to grip the pipe and then one arm of a tongs, as a Wilson tongs, is located above the joint I40 and one tong arm is located below this pipe joint so that the joint may be broken by the tongs in the conventional manner. With the joint thus broken, the stand of pipe may be unthreaded from the joint by actuating the draw works to rotate the rotary table 93; or, optionally and preferably, the spinning elevator may be actuated to unthread the pipe I22 from the box I2I of the joint I40.

When this has been accomplished, the floor man takes the lower end of the pipe stand and walks it over to a point just above the derrick floor and beneath the rack II8. This can be done since the bails I04 are loosely confined in the hook arm I62 although the flared portions IE8 of these hook arms prevent the bails from excessive twisting in an effort to rotate within the arms, or from crawling upwardly in the arms. When the bottom of the pipe I20 is thus positioned, the assembly is lowered by the driller and the pin I22 at the bottom of the stand rests on the derrick floor. Then the derrick man on the monkey board grasps the top joint I40 of the stand of pipe and releases the modified elevator I10 therefrom, after which the derrick manplaces the top of the pipe in the rack I I8.

It is herein pointed out that whereas the pipe spinner I and the auxiliary hoist are described as electrically operated, such need not necessarily be the case, as either may be operated by hydraulic, pneumatic, or any other 'well known source of power, and either device may be acmated by any well known type of controls.

It additionally pointed bil't herein that the new devices dise1o'sedfor using the pipe spinner in any "of the methods described need not be limited to the specific structures disclosed, but rather this invention primarily contemplates the use of any spinning or rotary means suspendable from the C-hook of a rig as the means for threading a stand of 'pipe into, or unthreading a stand of pipe out of, the pipe in the well below. Consequently the auxiliary power hoist, releasable clamp, and centering tool may be of any design to accomplish the above described functions of these devices. Also, it is stated that the adapter may also be of any design to accomplish the purpose of gripping pipe in the rotary table against rotation, and of supporting the top pipe joint of the drill string.

It is further asserted that when the pipe spinner is used with modified conventional equipment in handling pipe as hereinabove described. the connection hook, bails, and modified elevator employed need not be limited in form to the structures disclosed, but any connection hook structure may be employed which will nonrotatably suspend bails below the pipe spinner to which the connection hook is engaged; any bails may be employed which may be suspended from a connection hook to non-rotatably support a modified'elevato'r; arid any type of modified elevator maybe employed which maybe '13 readily released from pipe which it grasps against rotation, and which it is adapted to support While the term pipe spinner has been used as a descriptive term for the apparatus for turning the pipe and for making up and breaking out the threaded pipe connections it seems obvious that other descriptive terms could be used such for instance as the term power driven swivel, and the invention is to be broadly construed irrespective of the terms used.

Broadly, this invention contemplates a novel combination in drilling rig equipment and the method of using this equipment in such a manner that these elements taken together comprise a team or system of correlated elements, which can be used to eliminate one of the two fioor men now required on a rig; which can eliminate the conventional elevators now used to elevate conventionally jointed pipe from a well; which can be used to eliminate the lift-plugs now used to elevate fiush joint pipe from a well; which completely eliminates the dangerous spinning chain operation now employed in going into a well with pipe; and, most important of all, this invention greatly accelerates the speed with which pipe can be put into or taken out of a well.

This invention also broadly contemplates the provision of a pipe spinner adapted for connection, via a connection hook and bails, to a modifled structure of the conventional pipe elevators used in handling conventionally jointed pipe, and with this equipment the speed of going into and coming out of a well with pipe can be greatly accelerated while at the same time the dangerous spinning chain operation is eliminated.

What is claimed is:

1. With a well drilling rig including, an extendable stop means, a source of power, a rotary table adapted to support the well pipe for vertical movement, to rotate the pipe, and to release the pipe, a derrick having a crown block, a drawworks to rotate said table, a cable actuated by said drawworks, a travellin block movably supported from said crown block by said cable and movable vertically thereby upon actuation of said drawworks, said travelling block having bails suspended therefrom terminating downwardly in ring elements, the combination of, a pipe spinner including, a housing, ears on said housing insertable in said bail rings so that said spinner may be supported for suspension from said bails, a power drive mounted in said housing and connected to said source of power, a first shaft extending from the bottom of said housing and having a hub thereon adapted to rotatably shoulder in said housing, a lost motion coupling rotatably supported on said hub and adapted, after relative rotation with relation thereto, to rotate therewith, a second shaft extending below and from said power drive and having a flange thereon, a friction clutch extending around said second shaft to bear upon said coupling, and resilient means between said flange and said clutch to force said clutch to rotate said coupling and said first shaft upon rotation of said second shaft by said source of power, said first shaft having threaded pin means on the lower end thereof to be threaded into and out of the well pipe to be moved vertically, said housing having opposed ring members thereon to be engaged by said stop means to prevent counter-rotation of said spinner housing as said rotary table rotates said well pipe.

2. A pipe spinner adapted for connection to be suspended from the rings of bails supported by the travelling block of a well drilling rig having extendable stop means thereon and having a source of power thereon and including a rotary table adapted to support the well pipe, and to release the pipe, said spinner including, a housing, ears on said housing insertable in said bail rings so that said spinner may be supported for suspension from said bails, a power drive mounted in said housing and connected to said source of power, a first shaft extending from the bottom of said housing and having a hub thereon adapted to rotatably shoulder in said housing, a lost motion coupling rotatably supported on said hub and adapted, after relative rotation with relation thereto, to rotate therewith, a second shaft extending below and from said power drive and having a flange thereon, a friction clutch extending around said second shaft to bear upon said coupling, and resilient means between said flange and said clutch to force said clutch to rotate said coupling and said first shaft upon rotation of said second shaft by said source of power, said first shaft having threaded pin means on the lower end thereof to be threaded into and out of the well pipe to be moved vertically, said housing having opposed ring members thereon to be enaged by said stop means to prevent counter-rotation of said spinner housing as said rotary table rotates said well pipe.

3. A pipe spinner adapted for connection to be suspended from the rings of bails supported by the traveling block of a well drilling rig having extendable stop means thereon and having a source of power thereon, said spinner including, a housing, means on the housing engageable with said bail rings to support the housing from said bails, a power drive mounted in said housing and connected to said source of power, a first shaft extending from the bottom of said housing, a first clutch element rotatably supported on said shaft, interengageable means on said element and said shaft to cause said element to rotate with said shaft after limited rotation relative thereto, a driving shaft extending below and connected to said power drive to be rotated thereby, a second clutch element extending around said second shaft and movable longitudinally thereof into and out of clutching engagement with said first clutch element, said second shaft having an external flange thereon, and resilient means positioned to coact With said flange and said second clutch element to yieldingly urge said second clutch element into clutching engagement with said first clutch element to cause said first clutch element to rotate said first shaft upon rotation of said second shaft by said power drive, threadable means on said first shaft rotatable therewith and threadably engageable with a well pipe to connect the pipe with and disconnect the pipe from said first shaft by rotation of said first shaft, and means on the housing engageable with said stop means to hold the housing against rotation with said shafts.

LYNN W. STORM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 294,672 Proctor et a1 Mar. 4, 1884 499,962 Budd June 20, 1893 (Other references on following page) Number UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Clark Oct. 2,1906 Chapman Dec. 7, 1915 Grove May 10, 1921 Frey June '26, 1923 Nebergall Oct. 14, 1924 Montgomery May 5, 1925 Creighton Mar. 17, 1931 Smith Sept. 29, 1931 Wigle Jan. 26, 1932 Parks Dec. 20, 1932 Ruesenberg Nov. 24, 1933 Dawson May 7, 1935 Peacock Oct. 6, 1936 Number 16 Name Date Eaton Aug. 24, 1937 Henry Sept. 7, 19 7 Umphres June 13, 1939 York Aug. 3, 1939 Eden Feb. 6, 1940 Le Bus Feb. 13, 1940 Sheldon Dec. 31, 1940 Landers July 29, 1941 Perkins July 21, 1942 Johnson Mar. 9, 1943 McGowan Dec. 17, 1946 Daum Aug. 3, 1948 Calhoun Oct. 12, 1948 Abegg Nov. 15, 1949 

